Contemplating Canines

In my current living situation, a dog is not possible ..but when I move in February-ish, first on my agenda after getting a few boxes unpacked is to get a dog. (Cats are out of the question due to my severe allergy.) Plus, my idea of a pet starts at the size "armload". I have been without a dog for many years, and have missed that canine companionship. Working all hours and travelling around the globe and living in and around NYC in apartments has meant no dog.

But the time's they are a-changin'.

Here is my list of Reasons To Become EmPooched.

1. Dogs get it about loyalty and devotion.

2. Dogs give the appearance of listening when we need to talk, and manage to gaze at us soulfully.

3. Dogs play. And big dogs play heartily.

4. Living alone, a dog provides some fine house-guard services.

5. No kitty litter.

6. Dogs tend to be even-dispositioned.

7. No one will ever be happier to see you come home, but after the fuss is made the dog knows to go about its own business.

8. Dogs could teach joy lessons.

9. There is something lovely about the fur.

10. When God handed out The Ability To Communicate His Grace,dogs got an extra share.

11. Dogs cuddle well, like stuffed toys come to life.

I have always had dogs -- Princess, a black American Cocker Spaniel arrived when I was in 1st grade, and she lived until my senior year in high school. She was my friend and defender.

Toby came on the scene when I was 21, a mangy mutt that was half collie and half terrier of mixed persuasions. He could charm the pants of a poodle. Everyone loved Toby, and Toby loved everyone -- even the muggers who robbed us when we were taking him for a walk. He licked their hands. What a pup!

Then there was Free Angela Puppy, a black lab that we sprung from the pound in the 1970's, and most beloved of all, a purebred dark brindle boxer named Argos, the standard by which all dogs must be measured. He was a flawless fit for my dog-needs. I could never have another boxer because I know I would unfairly compare it to Argos, the Sublime Pooch of Blessed Memory.

I have a few friends who are badly dog-allergic, so some time ago I went to the Purina.com site to what was then their 'select a breed' feature, and I input that hypo-allergenic was a must-have feature for me. They indicated that I would be best off with a Bichon Frise, any of the three sizes of Poodle or the three sizes of Schnauzer, or a Portuguese water dog. All are fine dogs, and I would never give any of them the "show ring haircuts" that make them look like deformed wigs with silly legs.

I have the kind of personality that would love to just rescue a mutt dog from the pound, but I also want my dear friends to be comfortable in my home. And I would never restrict a dog from being able to explore any room in my house.

Then there is the health advantage of mutts, who tend to live longer, healthier lives that a purebred. But the other side of the coin is that a purbred puppy is predictable in size and general disposition, and a mutt puppy is not.

I am smiling as I write this. I have had a rough couple of years here. My life has been turned inside out in more than one way, by more than one event. Yet today the biggest personal worry I can gin up is over what kind of dog to get.

I love an oasis, don't you? They are such sweet miracles.